Photograph ic-plate-washing apparatus



(No Model.)

T. W. TAYLOR. PHOTOGRAPEIG PLATE WASHING APPARATUS.

No. 448,388. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

KE //o WITNESSES 0. A) mm 6 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS W. TAYLOR, OF BROOKLYN, NEXV YORK.

PHOTOGRAPHlC-PLATE-WASHING APPARATUS,

SEECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,383, dated March 17, 1891.

Application filed August 28, 1889. Serial No. 322,194. (No model.)

To aZZ whom if; may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS XV. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Plate-\Vashing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for washing photographic negatives; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings the same reference-letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation of the interior plate-holding frame removed from the tank. Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective of the tank and the plate-holding frame, the frame being in position within the tank, the end and side of the tank being partly broken away to show the interior. Fig. 3 illustrates a modified construction of the plate-supporting devices.

A is a water-tight box or tank, preferably, but not necessarily, made of metal.

13 isa water-inlet pipe, which on the interior of the tank branches into two pipes O and D. These pipes are perforated within the tank, as at a.

E is an outletpipe through the side of the tank, which is normally closed by a cap or other closing means.

G is an overflow-pipe from the upper part of the tank.

His a rack or frame for holdin the negativeplates. It consists of the side bars a a a a and end bars I) Z1 b b and upright bars 0 c c c. The side and end bars have 011 their inward faces corrugated metal strips (Z (Z d d; or they may themselves be corrugated, or they may have teeth or their equivalents projecting there from. The purpose of the corrugations or teeth is to afford lateral supports for the plates, whereby they may be held separate from each other and in a substantially verti cal position, and the lower bars a a Z) Z) have an inwardly-projecting flange a which supports the plates against dropping under the action of gravity.

I I are two handles, one at each end of the negative-holding frame, whereby the frame, with the negative-plates in it, may be readily lifted from the tank, and by which also it may be hung on pegs or hooks I from the wall to drain and dry.

K K K K K K are outwardly-curved pieces of heavy wire or its equivalent fastened at the sides and ends of the plate-holding frame, whereby it will be guided and centered upon its introduction into the tank, so that it will properly rest upon the interior pipes O and D within the tank.

1 is a handle, one at each end of the tank, whereby it may be conveniently handled.

The purpose of the cap or stopper, which closes the part of the supply-pipe which extends through the walls of the tank, is by its removal to allow a free rush of water from the supply-pipe through the pipes within the box and out at the pipe E for the purpose of flushing them, whereby they will be cleared of sediment should any accumulate therein, and also so that by it the tank may be drained of most of the water contained therein, so that it may then be more easily moved if occasion requires. This provision is of very great convenience in large tanks, because they contain so much liquid as to be very heavy when full.

The operation is as follows: The negativeplates are placed in the frame and are held in a vertical position and separated from each other by the corrugations on the strips (Z (Z (Z d or their equivalent. The frame is then lowered into the tank, being properly guided and centered by the deflectors K until it rests on the pipes O and D. The water is then turned on, which escapes in numerous jets through the perforations in the pipes G and D and flows upwardly and from the inlet end to the outlet end of the tank, thus passing on all sides of the plates.

A special feature of my invention is that there is an unbroken water-way all around the plates and also on their under side. After the plates have been sufficiently washed the entire lot may be lifted from the bath in one operation by taking hold of the handles'l I and lifting the frame, the plates, and all up out of the bath. It may then be hung up by the handles or placed on any suitable support where the plates will drain and dry. It will also be seen that if the plates are large ones they may be arranged lengthwise in the frame instead of acrossit, the end bars being provided with the corrugations or teeth for that reason.

In Fig. 3 I show a modified construction of the toothed bars which support the plates. In this instance I show the corrugated strip as made of wood having the teeth or corrugations (1 out in them, and they are made on an angle relative to a vertical line, so that the plates can be conveniently placed in the frame, also atan angle, as illustrated. By this means I avoid any deposit of sediment on the negativebearing face of the plate by letting that face he the under one when put in the frame. I can accomplish the same result by separating the teeth or corrugations when they are vertical by a suflicient distance to allow of the angled or inclined position of the plates.

I claim 1. The combination of a water-tight tank having inlet and outlet water pipes and an extension of the inlet-pipes extending through the wall of the tank, adapted to flush the inlet-pipes, and a removable open plate-support ing frame adapted to be placed within the tank, substantially as set forth.

'2. The combination of a water tight tank 7 having inlet and outlet pipes and an open removable plate-holding frame adapted to be placed within the tank and having corrugated or toothed side strips for supporting the plates, and external guiding and centering devices, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a water-tight tank having inlet and outlet pipes and an open removable plate-holding frame adapted to be placed within the tank and having corrugated or toothed side strips for supporting the plates, also external guiding and centering devices, and ahandle or handles whereby the same maybe lifted from the tank, substantially as set forth.

.4. The combination of a water-tight tank having inlet-pipes perforated within the tank and on extended part through the wall of the tank, an outlet-pipe at the upper part of the tank, and an open removable plate-holding frame having corrugated side strips for sustaining the plates and external guiding and centering devices, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York,in the county of New York and State of New York, this1 9th day of August, A. D. 1889.

THOMAS W. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

PHILLIPS ABBOTT, F. 0. SMITH. 

